Flood affected people: over Rs 10 billion distributed through Watan Cards: minister

Punjab Finance Minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira has said that more than Rs 10 billion has been distributed among the flood affectees through Watan Cards and more than 500,000 cards have been issued to affected families. "Distribution of seed and fertiliser at free of cost to flood-affected farmers has been started, which will cost Rs 3 billion to be equally shared between the Federal government and Punjab government," he told a delegation of NGOs here on Thursday.
According to the Minister, the overall loss due to flash flood is estimated at around $9.5 billion, and rehabilitation on large scale is the need of hour for which both domestic and foreign resources are required so that reconstruction work could be accelerated in flood-affected areas.
NGOs should come forward for this noble cause and their active participation would be useful for the rehabilitation work. The payment of early compensation (Rs 20,000) to flood affectees would be completed within few days that will cost Rs 16 billion, which is again equally shared between the Federal government and Punjab government.